The latest installment in the NFC West rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers was decided with nine seconds left on the clock and there were only 31 remaining when Tom Brady threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Danny Amendola against the Browns. Had Cleveland kicker Billy Cundiff put a little more leg into a 58-yard field goal attempt 30 seconds later, that wouldn’t have been enough. And let’s not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers’ failed attempt to recreate the Music City Miracle against the Dolphins at Heinz Field. They didn’t quite pull it off, but it was an incredible effort.
While Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson, Wes Welker and Tyrann Mathieu all left the field with what could be significant injuries, it was hard not to take in Sunday’s NFL action and not be fully entertained. So with all of that going down, here's what we got for some of the best and worst from this week's action in the NFL
Best:
LeSean McCoy, Running Back Philadelphia Eagles
He has been the best back in all of football this year not named Adrian Peterson. McCoy is one of the big reasons that Philly has been able to take over the lead in the NFC East. Nothing, not the Lions or blizzard-like conditions, would be able to stop the Eagles’ star running back on Sunday. McCoy eclipsed the team’s single-game rushing record with a 217-yard performance. McCoy broke two long touchdown runs (57 and 40 yards) and compiled 166 second half rushing yards as Philadelphia maintained at least a tie for first place in the NFC East with a 34-20 win. McCoy was able to beat the elements and the Lions defense to have a breakout kind of day.
Worst:
Jeff Triplette and Dyrol Prioleau, NFL Officials
Every fan in any sport is going to have problems with the refs. We, as sports fans, love to complain about bad calls made by refs. I know everybody remembers the Monday Night game last year with Green Bay and Seattle. This week wasn't so good to the refs either. Referee Jeff Triplette, who came under fire for a botched first down sequence in Week 13’s primetime matchup between the Redskins and Giants, inexplicably reversed a call in the Colts-Bengals game that gave Cincinnati’s Benjarvus Green-Ellis a touchdown run despite him being ruled down on the field (and the replay appearing to show that as the correct call). Prioleau, the field judge in the Browns-Patriots game, flagged Cleveland defensive back Leon McFadden on a very questionable pass interference call in the end zone with 35 seconds left in the game. The Patriots got the ball at the Browns 1-yard line and easily scored a game-winning touchdown. So as you can see, we have evidence to at least support this claims that the refs were having a bad week.
Best:
Jeremy Ross, Detroit Lions
The Lions had a bit of a rough go of it in the snow against the Eagles on Sunday. One of the few bright spots for Detroit was their kick returner, Jeremy Ross. The special teams standout scored two of Detroit’s three touchdowns, returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and adding a 98-yard kick return touchdown in the fourth. Ross, who joined the Lions in Week 7, is averaging 33.5 yards per kick return and 19.88 per punt return. He has been a good addition to the Lions, as they hang on to a slim lead in the NFC North, just ahead of the Chicago Bears.
Worst:
Rob Gronkowski, Tight End New England Patriots
You wanna talk about having a rough season, physically. Look no further than Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots. He's been battling injuries all season, playing in only six games. But the injuries have gotten worse for Gronk. It’s going to likely be awhile before the star tight end returns to the field for the Patriots. Gronkowski was carted off the field during New England’s win over Cleveland after suffering a right leg injury on a tackle by Browns safety T.J. Ward. Gronkowski will have an MRI Monday to find out the extent of the damage, but initial fears are that it is a torn ACL. Gronkowski missed the entire preseason and first six games of the 2013 regular season due to back and arm issues. He seems as if he really can't catch a break this year.
Best:
Marlon Brown, Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens rookie had a good week, he made 7 catches for 92 yards, but was unable to crack the 100 yard receiving day. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Why? The six-foot-five rookie used his wide wingspan to reach out for a Joe Flacco pass and some nimble footwork to come down in bounds at the back of the end zone with just four seconds remaining in Baltimore’s wild 29-26 victory over Minnesota. The winning play capped a scoring flurry that saw five touchdowns in the final 125 seconds of the game. He's last catch turned out to be the biggest catch of the game, helping to keep Baltimore very much alive amd well in the AFC playoff race.
Worst:
Mike Shanahan, Head Coach Washington Redskins
It's been a rough last couple of weeks to be a head coach in the NFL. First Gary Kubiak got fired from his job in Houston. Now it looks as if Shanny could be the next coach on the list, after a brutal Week 14 performance. Shanahan’s team looked absolutely uninspired in their 45-10 drubbing at home versus the Chiefs, who put up 38 first-half points on Washington. There were an estimated 2,000 fans remaining in their seats at FedEx Field when the third quarter began as the defending NFC East champs dropped to 3-10 on the season.
Best:
Matt Prater, Kicker Denver Broncos
I know its rare to see a kicker make this lis, but hey we have to give him his props. The Broncos kicker drilled the longest field goal in NFL history, sending a 64-yard kick sailing through the uprights at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. The altitude and temperature (around 14 degrees) made for optimal kicking conditions, as Prater broke a record shared by Tom Dempsey, Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski and David Akers. Hitting a kick in the NFL is a very tough thing to do, but hitting one from that type of distance is a really tough thing to do.
Worst:
E.J. Manuel, Quarterback Buffalo Bills
In a league that is driven by quarterbacks and the passing game, it seems that rookie QB's are really struggling to adjust to the big leagues and pro football. The Bills rookie quarterback had the worst game of his short career, throwing four interceptions and getting sacked seven times in the Bills’ 27-6 loss to the Buccaneers. Manuel completed 18 of 33 passes for 184 yards and zero touchdowns as Buffalo has now lost five of its past six games.
Best:
Anquan Boldin, Wide Receiver San Fransisco 49ers
This is a big reason why he was picked up to play for the 49ers this year. After only one catch in their first meeting, the 49ers receiver got the best of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman in San Francisco’s 19-16 win over Seattle. Boldin grabbed six catches for 93 yards and did some trash talking of his own after a 27-yard reception opposite the Pro Bowl defender in the second quarter.
Worst:
Wes Welker, Wide Receiver Denver Broncos
Much like with Gronk earlier, here's a guy who been battling the injury bug. Unlike Gronk however, Welker has been hit with injuries hard as of late. He started the year off good, managing to stay healthy most of the season. The Broncos receiver suffered his second concussion in four games, leaving Denver’s 51-28 win over Tennessee following a hit to the head by the Titans’ George Wilson. With the Broncos set to play on Thursday night versus the Chargers, it would be wise for the team to exercise caution on such short rest, even if Welker does end up passing the mandated concussion protocol.
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